Charlotte, NC (My Sportsbook) - Michael Phelps returned to competitive swimming Friday night for the first time since his record-setting Olympic gold medal haul last summer and posted a pair of victories at the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix.

Racing for the first time since his incredible performance at the Beijing Olympics last August and for the first time since his three-month suspension, Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly in dominating form.

Phelps swam a time of 1 minute, 46.02 seconds in the 200 free, which was better than his preliminary time in Beijing. He came back two events later to win the 100 fly in a time of 51.72 seconds.

"I wanted to come back and do something respectable in the pool," Phelps said. "The next few weeks are going to be really important in my training. It didn't matter how I felt tonight, I was just excited to race. That's what is important - that I still have that passion to race."

The 23-year-old Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist, won a record eight gold medals in China. He will compete Saturday in the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke before finishing with the 100 freestyle on Sunday.

It was in February when Phelps drew a suspension from USA Swimming after a picture was posted in a British tabloid showing him smoking from a marijuana pipe. He was photographed inhaling from the pipe during a party last November at the University of South Carolina and later apologized for his actions.